Billy McCloud dressed the part as he walked with his dad, also Billy McCloud, in the 2010 St. Patrick's Day parade in Indianapolis. Today's parade starts at 11:30 a.m.

Written by

Allison Tyra
Star correspondent

St. Patrick's Day -- the one day when green liquids and grown men dressed like leprechauns are accepted as the norm. Downtown, the festivities kick off at 6 a.m. today, when Mayor Greg Ballard hosts the annual Hoosier Lottery Greening of the Canal.

Your early-bird reward? Free coffee and doughnuts, plus live Celtic music and Irish dancers. The 10 gallons of environmentally safe food coloring should keep the water a lovely verdant shade for up to a week, event director Bryan Apolskis said.

From there, luck can only be on your side, as some Irish pubs open as early as 7 a.m. for beer and breakfast. ...